Attendance figures won't daunt light show organizer

Published 8:00 pm, Sunday, January 13, 2002

The 40-day Tri-Cities Winter Lights festival at the Midland County Fairgrounds brought 16,512 vehicles carrying spectators. Early calculations estimated the total attendance at a little less than 60,000.

By By Cheryl Wade of the Daily News

The organizer of Midland's holiday light festival says he's thinking of introducing season passes for next year and coming up with ways to get lightseers out of their vehicles during the display.

The 40-day Tri-Cities Winter Lights festival at the Midland County Fairgrounds brought 16,512 vehicles carrying spectators. Early calculations estimated the total attendance at a little less than 60,000. The light show, which wound its way through the fairgrounds and featured large animated figures, was presented nightly from Thanksgiving to New Year's Eve.

Organizers, headed by contractor Jim Johnson, pledged 50 cents per vehicle to the Make-A-Wish Foundation, which grants the wishes of young people with life-threatening illnesses. The check for $8,256 will be presented to foundation officials next week.

Johnson had hoped for at least 30,000 vehicles  maybe as many as 50,000  but he said the lower-than-expected figures didn't daunt him and he'll be back with an even better light show next year.

"I think we're all very happy and it turned out successful," he said.

"I don't think the weather helped us that much, either. But I'm not going to make it that much of a negative issue. It didn't snow until a day or two before Christmas."

A trip through the light show cost $8 per car. Because some people drove through the displays more than once, Johnson looks to offer season passes next year. To keep an organized line of cars passing through, organizers didn't allow drivers to stop so people could have second looks at favorite displays. Johnson said he wants to introduce some activity that would allow people to get out and walk around a little next year. Although he hasn't made specific plans, his ideas include a sleigh ride, concessions or something involving Santa.

Johnson collected 1,000 comment cards from spectators, some of whom came from as far away as Battle Creek, Traverse City, Flint and Owosso. He said most of the far travelers probably were people on shopping trips or on visits to family members in the Midland area.

Johnson said 99.9 percent of the comment cards had favorable responses and only about 10 cards had negative ones. Popular displays were dancing bears and five arches with fishes and bubbles suspended from them, Johnson said. But no single display was the favorite.

The show's total cost  including buying lights, installing and removing them, insurance, utilities and other expenses  amounted to $750,000.